


Living Dead Boy

by SuddenlySullen



Category: Joker (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Biting, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood Loss, Kidnapping, M/M, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-08 08:40:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21232955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuddenlySullen/pseuds/SuddenlySullen
Summary: "Arthur knows he isn't supposed to pay attention to the habits of humans. Their lives are so short, after all, that learning to be like them would be a constant game. Instead, those like him are meant to keep to the shadows, away from the prying eyes of the truly alive. He can't help himself, though, when he sees the little boy who acts more dead than alive. There's something special and sickly-sweet about him, so Arthur follows at a safe distance. He thinks maybe these people are like him. Maybe the little one just hasn't learned to fake it like mommy and daddy."





	Living Dead Boy

Arthur knows he isn't supposed to pay attention to the habits of humans. Their lives are so short, after all, that learning to be like them would be a constant game. Instead, those like him are meant to keep to the shadows, away from the prying eyes of the truly alive. He can't help himself, though, when he sees the little boy who acts more dead than alive. There's something special and sickly-sweet about him, so Arthur follows at a safe distance. He thinks maybe these people are like him. Maybe the little one just hasn't learned to fake it like mommy and daddy. 

The first time he gets to touch, there are iron bars between them. The boy seems to be staring out the fence, watching passing cars. Arthur doesn't mean to get as close to the fence as he does. He's surprised when the boy walks up to the fence, eyes locked on Arthur. Arthur reaches through the fence, curling his fingers around the back of the boy's neck. He's careful. Gentle. He feels the warmth and wetness of the boy's mouth when he tugs those soft lips up into a smile. He has no fangs. Arthur's theory is wrong. He's warm and soft and blood rushes through his little veins. Arthur smiles at him and for the first time, the little doll seems to light up. The boy takes a step forward and Arthur lets go of his mouth. He reaches through the fence to put his own baby-soft hands into Arthur's mouth, pulling his lips up and pressing down on his fangs until his tiny fingers bleed. He doesn't flinch or move away. Arthur's self-control is shaken. He smiles and licks the blood off of the boy's fingers. Dead little eyes watch Arthur intently. The taste is like nothing he's ever had. Sweet and heady and not nearly enough. For a moment, he's glad for the fence because without it he might be tempted to suck the little angel dry.

"Bruce!" A sharp female voice cuts through the air. "Get inside, what have we told you about playing near the fence?"

The boy's name is Bruce. Arthur lets Bruce's fingers fall from his mouth. He brings one finger to his lips, smiling again. Bruce mirrors the gesture, face still blank, before running back towards the house and the voice. Arthur knows then that he will have him. 

He follows Bruce from afar, trailing the scent of him through the city. Across the street from his posh private school playground, Arthur pretends to be interested in a newspaper stand. Every time he glances back, though, Bruce is watching him. His face stays blank and his eyes look unfocused, but Arthur is sure that he's being watched. The school bell rings and Arthur steals a last long look, expecting to see the back of Bruce's head walking inside with the other children. Bruce is standing still though, eyes locked on Arthur, and he has one finger pressed to his lips. 

Arthur's heart might have skipped a beat if it were still beating. There isn't a doubt in his mind that Bruce has been watching him just as he's been watching Bruce. It fills Arthur with a sense of pride that they might be so much more alike than he could have hoped. 

Reluctantly, Arthur returns to his small apartment. He paces the floor, thinking about what Bruce might be doing with every passing moment. Is he being chauffeured home from school? What does he do when he comes home? He must be too small for homework. Does he play? He didn't seem to play with the other children when he was alone, nor was he really 'playing' when Arthur had visited him at home. 

Sunset the following evening finds Arthur perched in Bruce's window. In the hints of blue light and with his eyes closed, he looks even more corpse-like than he does when he's awake. Arthur watches the steady rise and fall of his chest, counting the seconds between every breath. If he listens closely and tunes out the distant sounds of traffic, he can hear the soft thumps of Bruce's heart moving blood through his veins. 

When his eyes drop to the side of Bruce's pale neck, he can see the fluttering of an artery through skin. It ripples in time with the soft beating of Bruce's heart. He doesn't think. For the first time he can remember, his mind stays empty except to listen to the slow whooshing of breath and watch the tiny flutters of blood pumping. He peels himself away just as the sky starts to lighten, taking the walk back to his apartment with slow, purposeful steps.

He follows Bruce’s family to a theater in town. Dressed up in his little suit with those glazed over eyes, Bruce looks just like a doll. Arthur wants to put him on a shelf and keep him there forever. The doorman won’t let him in. He says the show is sold out, tells Arthur with venom in his eyes that he probably couldn’t afford it anyway. Arthur waits across the street, watching the doors. He looks through the crowd, at each flushed and lively face. He doesn’t see Bruce or either of his parents. A gunshot cracks through the air, followed by a scream, then three more, and silence. 

Arthur plans to ignore it. The affairs of the living are generally much more than he wanted to concern himself with. The smell of blood finds its way to his nose, though, and he would know that blood anywhere. He moves with inhuman speed to the side exit of the theater, knocking several people over who happen to be in his way before they can even see him. A man, hardly more than a boy, stands at the end of the alley. In one hand he holds a gun and his whole body trembles. Past him, Arthur can barely see the spreading pools of blood. He shoves the man aside, harder than is probably necessary. His feet lift off the ground as he’s flung through the air. His back hits the brick wall with a wet crunching sound and then he goes quiet. 

Bruce looks like he does when he’s sleeping. His eyes are closed where he’s fallen in the pools of blood. Focusing, Arthur can hear the faintest taps of his heart. It’s slow, barely there even to Arthur’s sensitive hearing. Dropping to his knees, Arthur scoops Bruce up into his lap. He clings desperately to the limp body of the boy he so badly wanted to love.

“No, no, no, no,” Arthur whispers. 

He brings one of Bruce’s wrists to his mouth. It’s so small and fragile, he worries that he might break it. He bites down, trying to force as much of his own saliva into the wound as he can. He hardly remembers when he was turned and has never done it himself before. Tears leak from his eyes and he isn’t sure he’s even meant to be able to cry anymore. He waits for some sign of movement, but when Bruce doesn’t wake up he moves his mouth to the side of his neck, where his artery should be pushing blood through his body. When his fangs sink in, he feels the slightest flutter of life under his tongue. Something inside of Bruce isn’t ready to die and this only encourages him. He licks into the wounds over and over. Bruce’s blood is sweet in his mouth. He wants so badly to drink it all down, to feel it pool in his stomach and keep part of his boy with him forever. His mouth is watering like a starving dog being handed a steak. He pushes every instinct he has clawing at him from inside his gut aside does everything he can to force all of it inside Bruce. He moves to the other side of Bruce’s neck and this time he almost thinks he feels a flinch when his fangs puncture the artery. Blood rushes into his mouth and is quickly replaced with his saliva. When the saliva overflows his mouth and refuses to be pushed further inside of Bruce, Arthur’s hands move to lift his shirt. He tears at the buttons, sending them flying into the pools of blood. He bites Bruce so many times he loses count, tears pouring down his face. 

When his mouth has run dry except for the taste of sweet blood and he can’t force himself to make any more venom, Arthur clings to Bruce’s body. He listens for the exact moment that his heart beats for the last time. Just when he thinks that he’s failed, Bruce’s eyes fly open and he lurches forward to latch his fresh baby fangs into the side of Arthur’s neck. If he had to compare the feeling to anything, Arthur would say that it was like having a prolonged orgasm wrung out of him. Every dead nerve in his body feels like it’s been doused in gasoline and set on fire. Arthur’s eyes roll back into his head. His fingers press into Bruce’s side and then he’s pulling Bruce away from his neck. Bruce growls, the sound of his feral newborn displeasure echoing through the alley, then turns away from Arthur to bite into his father’s throat. He tears at it, spitting out chunks of flesh before lapping at the blood that has started to pool there. 

Footsteps are running towards them. Arthur knows they need to leave before humans see them. He lifts Bruce by the hips and is met with another, stronger growl. Bruce wraps his arms and legs around Arthur’s waist, though, and allows himself to be held. Tiny fangs poke into the side of Arthur’s neck again and he can hardly keep himself upright. He runs home, moving fast enough that no human can see the way he’s clinging to Bruce. As soon as the door is shut behind them, his legs give out and he crumples to his knees on his living room floor. 

**Author's Note:**

> There is gorgeous art inspired by this fic! Go check it out and tell Chai how amazing it is. <3
> 
> https://twitter.com/valeskacon/status/1188603531277881344


End file.
